Mercury condenser



Jan. 19, 1932. B PRESCOTT 1,841,913

MERCURY CONDENSER Filed Aug. 5, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Atiornen Jan. 19, 1932. B PRESCOTT 1,841,913

MERCURY CONDENS ER Filed Aug. 5, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JW Inventor Attorney Jan. 19, 1932. F. B. PRESCOTT MERCURY CONDENSER Filed Aug. 5, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ki Inventor A itor ne y Patented Jan. 19, 19.32 1,841,913

f1; UNIT D STATES PATENT; OFFICE FRANK 1;. PRESCOTT, or TncoMA. WASHINGTON MERCURY CONDENSER 7 Application filed August 5, 1930. Serial No. 473,271.'- My invention pertains to apparatuses and movable cast iron top to the condensing processes whereby mercury is extracted and pipes. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of two large reduced from cinnabar, the ore or rock 1n wood stave tanks, one tank being shown in which mercury is found in the mining indusvertical section; and Fig. 10 is. a top View of try. In the process, the cinnabar is first Fig. 9, one tank being shownin horizontal 55 crushed into small particles less than an inch section. in size. From the crushingplant the ore is Similarcharacters refer to similar parts put through a roasting furnace in which it in the several views. I j is exposed to a uniform high heat till all The first unit of my improvedmercury mercury is parted-from the rock in the form condenser comprises a series of compartof mercurial vapor. The vapors or fumes ments shown and indicated at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pass from thefurnace into a dust collecting and (3, all. inclosed within a box-like strucmulticlone and from thence it is drawn'into ture .7 made of a strong mixture of reinthe condensing apparatus to which my in forced concrete, each compartment being, vention pertains. made vapor tight and separated. from each My invention comprises certain new and other.. Compartmentl is connected through vuseful improvements in .the construction, opthe top with. compartment 2 through eration and maintenance of the condensing wrought. iron inverted U pipes 1X2. Comapparatus of the mercury reduction plant. partment 2 is likewise connected with comw Oneobject of my invention is to obtain a partinent 3.b v similar pipes 2X3, and the 70 A Figure 1 is a top view of a mainunit of the Each of the six collecting compartments 6 condensing apparatus, a part of the collectof the vapor condenser has a floor 10 inclined section; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of stances condensed therewith, is scraped out more practical, substantial and economical entire series of compartments are thus conconstruction of mercury condensers. Annected through to compartment 6 as shown other objectoi' my invention is to provide and indicated. These pipes are approximeans whereby mercurial vapors will be mately eight inches in diameter and the pipes more effectively and completely condensed of eachpair are connected near the top by than by'processes now in use; and a still cross pipes of the same diameter. further. object is toso construct a mercury The mercurial .vapor and other fumes are condenser that can-be maintained by replacdrawn intothe compartment 1 through the ing certain wornout parts without having inlet pipe 8 and. the residueof fumes pass te shut down the entire reductionplant. out from compartment 6 through the outlet I attain these and other objects by means pipe 9 and into and through two wooden of the apparatus illustrated in the accomtanks hereinafter described for further and panying drawings, in which more complete reduction.

ing compartments being shown in section; from its center toea-ch side where a close Fig. 2 is aside elevation of Fig. 1, a part of fitt ng cast iron door 11 provides an outlet the collecting compartments bemg shown n through which the mercury and other sub- Figs. 1 and 2 on the line 33; Fig. 4 is an into a concrete troughl2 running along each enlarged cross section of one of the compartside ofthe condenser. This mixture of submentcleanout doors and a side trough Fig. stances is composed of dust, vaporized acids 5 is an enlarged top view of one of the recess and moisture extracted from the heated ores. castings in which the I condensing pipes are The free mercury gravitates to the centrally set; Fig. 6 is a central vertical section inclined bottom of each trough into a central 9 through Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged view gutter18 from which it passes into the pipe of a standard of the angle iron trestle to outlets l lthrough which it is conducted into support the foot planks betweenthe condensa suitable receptacle conveniently located ing pipes; Figs. 8 and 11 are respectively a where-it is'put into iron flasks for shipment. top view and vertical cross section of the re- -The residue mud is hoed along each trough fan is driven at condition may require.

into a steam jacketed muller 15 where it is mixed with lime, and any mercury remaining therein is worked out by mechanical agitation. All fumes from the muller are returned by means not shown into the vapor conducting pipes or system, and thence into the smoke stack.

It isf tobe gbserved that the fumes and gases are drawn through the condenser by a motor driven exhaust fan 16 and the whole apparatus is thus put under suction at all times. This eliminates all danger of salivation of the operators and allows all cleaning, repairing or changes to be made without interrupting the operation of the plant. The variable speed as l The condenser is {tube housed in an open building. not shown,

in which the air will circulate freely to facilithe cooling of the vapors. If found necessary, a fan driven current of air can be the cooling pipes by means not shown.

. One of the improvements I have made in Illa condenser is in the recess castings 17 set an the top mu of each concrete compartihent; ese are made to loosely receive and mpport the upright inverted U cooling Suitable calking canhe inserted about each pipe inside the casting to make the samagas tight. The open top of each cooling pipevis closed with a cast iron cover 18 that \be oved for swabbing the pipes of i may collect on their inner sur- Tke cast iron caps are made with a circular ,groove to receive the pipes. It will be pbserued the cap and the recessed castings are so formed that all collections fromcmrdensation within the pipes can fall clearly into the several collection compartments. It will be further observed that when the iron cooling pipes become so damaged by the fumes that removal is necessary. they can be taken out one ,pair at a time and new put in their stead, while the reduction plant is in full operation. Should it be necessary to renew the castings 17 at any time, they can likewise be taken out and new casta r Another improvement is in supporting the foot plank walks between the pipes on suitable iron trcstles 20. Heretoforc, these plank walks 19 have been supported on brackets fixed on the cooling pipes, making it very 1 dilficult to renew the ,pipes. The planks sunorted in this way maintain a fixed walk m which the operator can swab the pipes at all times or remove the pipes for putting in new ones.

. The concrete compartments are supported on substantial concrete foundations 21 with the hearth about four feet above the floor.

Thisis a convenient height for the operators These troughs are turned inward to a central point at one end of the condenser to empty into the muller which is an improvement over the present way of terminating at the two corners of the condenser.

The condenser shown will reduce the fumes from a furnace of approximately seventyfive tons of dnnabar ore per day. Its capacity can be increased by adding one or more compartments and with the required additional oonnectin pipes, additional length will be obtained 1n the pipe cooling circulation The width of the compartments can also be increased and two or more lines of pipes be added and thus enlarge the condenser to reduce the fumes from any size of furnace desired.

The fumes and gases from the fan 16 are exhausted from the pipe 22 into a cone bottom wood stave tank 23 and from thence into a second tank 24, an exact duplicate of tank 23. The gases enter each tank near the to where a deflector 25 gives them a centrifuga motion till they pass out a central vertical pipe 26 with its open end near the bottom of the tank. On entering this pipe 26, the gases pass thro h a water spray'from the nozzle end 27 of t e water pipe 28 located in the center of the pipe 26. This spray knocks down any flowered silver and uncondensed gases that may have remained in the fumes after passing through the main condenser heretofore described. From the tank 24, the remaining fumes pass through pipe 29 into the smoke stack not shown in the drawing.

The water spray here described is the only spray used in the entire condensing apparatus and system. The moi-cur; and mud drawn from the bottom of each tank flows thro a conductor 30 to the muller where it is wor d as the mud from the first unit of the condenser heretofore described. By means of the two wood tanks and the water sprays therein all residue of value in the fumes is condensed and saved. With the combination of apparatus herein shown and the process or system of operation as described, I attain a more complete and effective mercury condenser than has heretofore been used.

I therefore claim 1. In a cinnahar-reduction plant, a mercurial vapor condenser, comprising a series of vapor tight collecting compartments adjoining each other, .said compartments consecutively being connected by inverted U- shnped cooling pipes, exhaust fan means for maintainmg a suction through said collecting compartmentsand said cooling pi es, and

collecting tanks each provided wit a deflector disposed for a centrifugal .efiect at its inlet and with .a spray at its outlet, said fan discharging the residue of the vapor or fumes from said condenser centrifugally through said collecting water spray tanks, as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a cinnabar reduction plant, a mercurial vapor condenser, comprising a series of vapor tight collecting compartments adjoining each other, the tops of said compart ments being consecutively connected by inverted U-sha-ped cooling pipes, and exhaust fan means for maintaining a suction through said collecting compartments and said cooling pipes, said cooling pipes being connected with said collecting compartments by means of calkable, loose fitting collar-like iron castings so formed and disposed that said pipes may be renewed while said reduction plant is in operation.

3. In a cinnabar reduction plant, a mercurial vapor condenser, comprising a series of vapor tight collecting compartments adjoining each other, the tops of said compartments being consecutively connected by inverted U-shaped cooling pipes, means for drawing the mercurial vapors through said compartments and said pipes, each of said compartments having a floor which inclines 5 downwardly from a central summit to cleanout iron doors at the sides thereof, and collecting troughs beneath said doors along each side of said condenser, a central gutter being provided in each of said troughs for collecting and disposing of the free mercury therein, and said troughs being made to meet at a common point at the end of said condenser as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a cinnabar reduction plant, a mercurial vapor condenser, comprising a series of vapor tight collecting compartments adjoining each other, 'the tops of said compartments being consecutively connected by in- 4 verted U-shaped cooling pipes, and exhaust means for maintaining a suction throughout said mercurial vapor condenser, to minimize risk that workmen operating said reduction plant will be injured by fumes and gases escaping from said condenser.

5. In a cinnabar reduction plant, a mercurial vapor condenser, comprising a series of vapor tight collecting compartments adjoining each other, said compartments being consecutively connected by inverted U-shaped cooling pipes, and exhaust means for drawing the fumes under suction through said condenser and discharging the same through a pair of wood tanks, and each of said tanks having means for conducting the fumes cen- I trifugally therein to a central outlet near the bottom thereof, and said outlet being provided with a water spray whereby all values are knocked down as the fumes pass through said water spray as shown and described.

FRANK B. PRESCOTT. 

